Ephemeral Flowers (KHUX Story)
by echoheart0324
Summary: (KHUX Spoilers) Two years ago, there were two wielders named Blaine and Strelitzia, who were the closest of friends, until fate had driven them far apart, and one day, ultimately ended one of them. However, if one had the chance to change a tragic fate...would it work? Or make matters worse?
1. Chapter 1

**Alright, so before we begin...there will be spoilers to KHUX, as I wrote this fanfiction based off of the newest story update in the Japanese version. *cough* Someone's death *cough***

 **This is based off of the translations from Everglow and KHInsider, and none of this is canon. Most of this fanfiction is just an assumption, as we do not know much about these particular characters yet.**

 **So to understand what I'm throwing at you, please be familiar with the characters: Strelitzia, Blaine, Lauriam, and I guess the rest of the X cast? Anyways, let's begin.**

* * *

 _'…I'm sorry…I couldn't protect you…'_

 _'That's okay…'_

 _'…So, this is it…'_

 _'I just wanted to talk to you…'_

-()()()()()()()()()()()-

It had been one week since Lauriam had entered the picture, and Blaine couldn't help, but feel awfully uncomfortable around him. There was always this strange aura he felt when he walked by him, and there was a heavy feeling in his heart, as if something terrible had transpired, without him knowing.

"Blaine," Lauriam had said one day, casually, but with toxic dripping on the end of his name, as his icy blue eyes landed on him, sending a shiver down his back.

"Yes?" Blaine had responded, swallowing back his fear, as he looked at the teen.

The light-pinked haired boy only snickered and shrugged, "Better watch what's to transpire soon. Don't want anything bad to happen now, right?"

Lauriam had then left, leaving Blaine to himself and his thoughts.

 _'What the heck is he talking about…I have nothing left to lose…'_ he had thought and frowned, tipping his hat closer to his face, and his fists clenching.

-()()()()()()()()()()()-

Blaine watched from the corner, as the first three leaders ventured out to the fountain, as usual, with what seemed to be blue ice-cream in their hands. He wrinkled his nose at the thought of what it would taste like…probably too sweet.

Just looking at the three friends drilled a small hole through his dark heart however, reminding him of something he couldn't recall, but the pain of forgetting it pained him.

"Are you jealous of them?" asked Chirithy, suddenly tugging on his long black jacket, earning a small high-pitched yelp from the boy.

Blaine put his hand over his heart, as he tried to calm down and control his breathing, as his eyes locked on his Chirithy, feeling his cheeks go slightly pink by the sudden scare.

"No, I'm not. It's just strange to see them all get along so well," he half-lied, bringing his hat closer to his face, as he leaned on the wall.

Chirithy laughed softly and rubbed its head on Blaine's pants, forcing Blaine to pick his Chirithy up into his arms. Chirithy then nuzzled his face and Blaine couldn't help, but chuckle.

This was a realm with no tragedy after all. A little bonding time with Chirithy wouldn't hurt anyone.

-()()()()()()()()()()()-

"Hey Chirithy…" whispered Blaine, putting his hand over his head, while the other was stroking his partner's belly.

"Yes?" Chirithy finally answered, after a moment of hesitating.

The young boy slowly took off the black watch that was on his wrist and sighed, with a sad gleam in his covered eyes.

"Do you remember…who gave me this watch? Do you remember…if I talked to anyone in particular at the fountain?' he asked softly and sat up, his hand on his forehead, as he tried to recall the past.

A heavy silence settled in between the two and Chirithy looked over at Blaine with a grim expression.

"You don't remember? Her name was Strelitzia and you two were best friends..." whispered Chirithy looking at the dark starry sky, as it stared up at a particular small shining star.

Blaine stifled a sob at hearing her name. How could he forget her like that all of a sudden? And from the sound of it, Strelitzia had probably died in the war…

He closed his eyes slowly and felt his heart ache for his forgotten friend. An empty lingering promise echoed in the back of his mind, as Chirithy frowned and snuggled up next to his master. The truth was left untold.

* * *

 **I know this is short, but I just...I just really wanna go against canon right now, so this was produced as fast as possible. Next chapter, we'll touch upon some certain elements of Strelitzia and possible flashbacks. Maybe a bit of time travel too...*wink*  
**

 **And to answer you people in the back, yes, Blaine is the starring character, as nobody seems to trust him (I mean I don't blame them).**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey guys, it's been a while, but guess who's back! Anyways, thank you guys for the reviews, follow, and favorites, it just really makes up my day. All those aside, let's start!**

* * *

 _'I have a favorite place…'_

 _'I am Strelitzia, and this is a place only for me.'_

 _'These past two years, I've spent my days fighting monsters of darkness and protecting the light.'_

-()()()()()()()()()()()-

"What do you mean there's a traitor in our group?" snapped Ephemera, looking at Blaine with fierce eyes, but Blaine's face remained still, while the others remained silent.

The deadly silence filled the already tense atmosphere, and only the sound of breathing could be heard.

Blaine looked over to Ephemera and frowned, raising his eyebrow, "Isn't it obvious? The day we were supposed to meet up…Ava clearly said for us to meet up as soon as possible, but Lauriam over there took days! He even said he was 'looking for something'. Doesn't that strike as suspicious to you?"

Before anything else could come out of his mouth, Ephemera swung his hand at Blaine's face, resulting in a thundering sound that echoed throughout the walls.

A painful silence filled the air, as Blaine's eyes only widened, as he gingerly touched the newly-formed bruise on his face.

"You're the one suspicious here! Just making assumptions and pointing fingers! You could be the traitor for all we know! You don't even show us what your eyes look like!" the silver-haired boy yelled, his fists clenched, but shaking terribly.

Blaine's dark heart only grew darker, as Ephemera continued rambling on at how they should work together and not doubt one another.

-()()()()()()()()()()()-

Lauriam punched Blaine gently on the shoulder with an ugly smirk, after Ephemera and Skuld had left the room, "Good job at making the red scarf boy angry."

Blaine pushed Lauriam to the side, as he tried to ignore the feeling in his gut to kill him right now, but he swallowed it back and tried not to scream.

"What do you want, Lauriam?" he asked, trying to keep his voice icy cold, but he knew Lauriam sensed his fear under all the ice.

Suddenly, Lauriam was right in front of his face, grabbing it harshly, as his nails dug in his pale skin, with a horrifying gleam in his eyes, as he whispered harshly into his ear, "You seem to know I am not like the other four…I wonder how you knew. Anyways, stay out of my way and you'll be spared…understand? I'm going after Ephemera next, so stay out!"

He then pushed Blaine to the other side of the room, as he exited the room, the thirst for blood now clear in his eyes.

Blaine was about to run after him and beat the living Lux out of him, but a small soft hand grabbed his arm.

"Blaine…" whispered Ven drowsily, as he hugged Blaine's arm weakly, his azure blue eyes blank.

The older boy's eyes only widened, as the blonde met his eyes and laid his head on the other's shoulder.

"Please…don't fight…him," he whispered softly and closed his eyes, breathing lightly, as he drifted away from reality.

A small spark ignited in Blaine's eyes, as he suddenly felt a light feeling bubble in his chest…

-()()()()()()()()()()()-

 _(Flashback)_

 _"Wait up!" shouted a female voice, as a young Blaine sighed._

 _"Took you long enough, Litzia," he sighed, rolling his eyes with a dorky smile present on his face._

 _Strelitzia pouted, her emerald green eyes twinkling in the hot sunlight, as the two laughed softly._

 _The older boy put his hand on the younger girl's hair and ruffled it with affection._

 _"I haven't seen you since I left Daybreak Town a few months ago," he managed out, his cheeks slightly flustered, as he grabbed her hand._

 _"_ _Well it's not my fault that I've been behind on Lux colleting as of late!" sighed Strelitzia, over exaggerating the sigh, as she shoved Blaine playfully._

 _The two sat at the fountain, watching the younger and older kids compete for the upper hand for Lux, and the occasional kids that just wanted to have fun for the day._

 _Blaine's eyes drifted over to Strelitzia, who seemed stiff and lost in thought. Her dark orange hair looking like a fresh orange on a summer day and her eyes glimmered green like summer green leaves._

 _He pushed Strelitzia's head towards his shoulder and started to stroke her hair, encouraging her to sleep on his shoulder._

 _"_ _No need to be so stiff. Just sleep and relax," he whispered gently into the girl's ear._

 _Strelitzia's eyes widened, but she smiled back and gently hugged the boy's arm and fell asleep._

-()()()()()()()()()()()-

He felt his Keyblade come into his hand, when he entered Ephemera's room. An obvious sign of something off.

A heavy shiver ran down his back, when he realized the harsh silence throughout the building. Was everyone alright? He did leave Ven back in the empty meeting room, but where were the others?

He took another step forward and he felt his heart stop. A ribbon of blood was visible on the floor, leading to a large lump on the other side, pressed against the wall.

His breath was cut short however, when something shoved him towards the lump on the other side, and he felt cold metal press against the back of his neck.

"I told you to stay out of this…" Lauriam sighed, stepping towards Blaine, with a strange gleam in his eye, and a scythe that glistened dangerously in his right hand.

Blaine grit his teeth, as he slowly got up. However his strength disappeared in less than a second when he saw what the lump truly was.

"Ephemera…" he whispered quietly, his eyes widening.

Ephemera was a bloody mess, his eyes were wide open and bloodshot, as his whole body was battered with bruises and fresh cuts. Blood was dripping down his weak body, as he desperately forced a small smile to the other boy.

Blaine's heart was pounding too loudly that he couldn't hear anything, except his own heartbeat. No, Ephemera couldn't be dying...there was no way.

His eyes drifted over to Lauriam, whose eyes glimmered dangerously, as he raised his scythe over his shoulder. He could've fought him back and tried to cling on to his life, but there was nothing left of him.

He closed his eyes and embraced his fate with open arms.

 _'_ _I promise, I'll-'_

 **\- (Clang!) -**

-()()()()()()()()()()()-

 _(Flashback)_

 _"-come back tomorrow," smiled Strelitzia, brushing her bangs to the side, as she held Blaine's hand softly on the rooftop._

 _The sun was just setting and saying its final goodbyes to the sky. Usually the two would stay much longer after the sunset, but fate had its way of tearing people apart._

 _"Why won't you stay for tonight though? I heard there'll be a meteor shower tonight!" exclaimed Blaine, trying to hide his disappointment through surprise._

 _A sigh escaped the girl's mouth, as her emerald green eyes landed on the boy she was close friends with._

 _"Don't you think…that maybe we should…" she started, but stopped midway, with a guilty expression visible on her face. Her eyes darkened immediately, as she faced the opposite direction to hide her tears. She couldn't let him see._

 _Blaine's happiness crumbled into bits of dust, as he realized what she was trying to say. Of course she would say so. They were in completely different Unions, with different goals._

 _With the coldest voice he could manage, he answered softly, "Of course…we're in different Unions after all. No meddling with the others right?"_

 _Strelitzia flinched and couldn't look back at Blaine. So without thinking, she ran as fast as she could go, without looking back._

 _Little did the two know though that very night would be the last they would talk to each other ever again for the next few years._

-()()()()()()()()()()()-

Blaine jolted awake, as the last thing he could properly recall was Lauriam raising his scythe to end him. However, nothing hurt and he still seemed to be in one piece.

His gray eyes darted around the area he seemed to be stuck in. All that stood out however, was just a white table with two chairs.

"I feared the worst would finally come around," sighed a familiar female voice, right behind the older boy, obviously startling him.

A small squeak escaped Blaine's mouth, as he tried to summon his Keyblade to attack whatever had surprised him, but nothing came into his hand.

Flashy orange hair came into Blaine's view and that was enough to send Blaine into an emotionally unstable state. He couldn't care any less of his Keyblade when something precious to him was right in front of him.

Strelitzia smiled and embraced Blaine, stroking the back of the older boy's head, as best as she could. Blaine certainly did grow taller than her, after all the years that have slowly passed without warning.

"I'm so sorry," he managed out, choking back his tears. "I'm so sorry for what I said back then. I'm so, so sorry."

* * *

 **Alright, this should've been already out a few months ago, but I sort of forgot to...so yeah...I apologize for the wait.**

 **I couldn't fit everything in here, as I felt it was getting too long and boring, so the suffering will start next chapter. Yay! :D  
**


	3. Chapter 3

Strelitzia finally let Blaine go, a small smile on her lips, as she gazed into his gray eyes.

"It's been a while…" she finally managed out, shifting her eyes awkwardly away, as she let her friend go.

Blaine's eyes softened immediately. It would make sense for Strelitzia to feel uncomfortable around him, after everything that's happened in the past.

"Anyway, you're probably wondering why you're here with me in the first place," she sighed, pacing slowly back and forth, her hands behind her back.

He nodded at her, feeling a sudden dread in his chest, as he vaguely remembered Ephemera and his empty eyes as he was slowly dying. Did the others find out on time?

Strelitzia turned around to face Blaine with a gentle smile, but her eyes were cold and serious, "Blaine, none of this was supposed to happen. We were all supposed to be at peace since the very beginning. We were all supposed to be united, instead of fighting over Lux, but one specific person was bored of that peace and wreaked havoc. That one person set the path of destruction and that's why so many people died and fell into darkness."

She paused, as Blaine's face lost color.

"Wait, so that means-" he started, but couldn't finish his sentence, as the words were stuck in his throat.

"The Master of the Masters started this all. He wanted us all to die for his own entertainment. Everyone's lives are just little toys to him to mess around with. He knew everything that was going to happen," Strelitzia finished, as her green eyes flashed dangerously.

Blaine took a step back, millions of questions going through his mind, as he gripped his head in pain. A faint memory resurfaced, but was quickly dismissed, as he fell to one knee. Beads of sweat slowly trickled down his chin, as he tried to capture his breath again. Something seemed to have triggered the reaction, but the Master of the Masters…there was no way he could do such a thing. Such a being of power wouldn't have created a world just for entertainment, right?

Strelitzia slightly panicked at Blaine's sudden reaction, but he quickly recovered and put his fedora closer to his face to hide his embarrassment, banishing anymore childish thoughts, as he wobbly got off the floor.

"So…how exactly do I fit in this? There's nothing I've done to exactly stand out…" Blaine managed out, hiding his blush, as his nausea dulled.

Strelitzia gently touched his shoulder and offered a small smile, "I really need you to go back in time and prevent my death, which will prevent Ephemera's and your very own, along with many others. It might seem impossible, but there's a bigger change for a better way, than this grim end."

Blaine sucked in his breath, as he tried not to point out that the idea was stupid. Time travel was impossible, and he was nothing more than an idiotic child that tried desperately to look and act cool. He was almost certain that he was just hallucinating what was happening right in front of him, but something in his heart gnawed at him, whispering softly that it was all real.

"Look, Strelitzia, I don't know about you, but maybe tell this to someone else more…responsible," he managed out uncertainly, his eyes shifting to the floor.

She shook her head and placed her hand on top of Blaine's shoulder, as best as she could, "You need to do this. You're the only one who knew me in the past, personally."

Blaine hesitatingly looked back up at Strelitzia, feeling slightly nauseous at her words, but he knew it was true.

"Are there any specific rules I have to follow by any chance?" he asked softly, gripping onto Strelitzia's hand, bringing it off his shoulder.

Strelitzia seemed to freeze, as she tried to remember the rules as best as she could manage, "Well, your heart was already released, so you can go back in time…but I feel like the only rules that really apply here are that you can't die, obviously, and fix whatever needs to be fixed. The rest of the rules don't really apply because you're a special case..."

He sighed, but nodded, trying to wrap his head around the whole situation. It seemed so sudden and ridiculous, but there was nothing else he could do, unless he wanted the whole world to collapse and fall on itself because he stayed on the sidelines.

She walked closer to Blaine and looked into his gray eyes calmly, "Are you ready?"

"That shouldn't be too bad…" Blaine weakly smiled, feeling slightly uneasy.

Strelitzia smiled back and held onto his hands, which were glowing softly.

"Don't fail. I know you can do this," Strelitzia whispered and hugged him, as his vision faded.

()()()

At first he felt light-headed and faint, almost as if everything was just a mere dream in his thoughts, but all of that flew into oblivion when he tried to get off the cold stone floor. His arms wouldn't obey, as it felt limp and weak, and his eyes couldn't adjust properly either, refusing to open. It didn't help that it felt like someone was screaming into his ears either.

After several attempts of looking utterly stupid, he got up to his knees and tried to adjust his vision to the familiar surroundings of Daybreak Town. It was slow progress, but his vision was getting there.

"Hey, are you alright?" asked a familiar voice, with a blurred hand reaching out towards him.

He clumsily took it and got up to his feet, as his vision cleared to reveal an orange-haired girl, Strelitzia. He stopped breathing for a second, as he suddenly felt conscious about himself being in a completely different timeline. Of course the first person he met in this timeline was the girl he had to save from fate's clutches.

She tilted her head at Blaine's lack of words, as she waited for him to say something, but he couldn't say anything. He was overwhelmed at how she was right in front of him, in the flesh, alive and breathing, instead of cold and tired, compared to the Strelitzia he saw moments ago.

"Just leave him be," another voice behind Strelitzia chimed in, sounding awfully cold, making Blaine freeze instantly.

Strelitzia sighed in defeat, as she turned to the pink-haired boy behind her, "Lauriam, he just needed a little help, it doesn't-"

Lauriam glared at her, resulting in her to never finish her sentence, as she looked downward. He then turned his harsh glare at Blaine, making his face go pale instantly, as he remembered the incident with Ephemera, back in his timeline, but he only tipped his hat closer to his face to shield his expression.

"Come on, let's go," Lauriam insisted softly, tearing his gaze away from Blaine and looking back at Strelitzia. "This guy is none of our business."

Her green eyes flickered in hurt, as she wanted to blurt out that she wanted to help, but Lauriam's eyes told her otherwise.

Lauriam then grabbed her hand and twirled her around, a hand secured on her back, as the two disappeared from Blaine's sight, leaving him alone on the quiet streets of Daybreak Town.

()()()

Blaine checked his pockets once more, just in case he had spare Munny to spend at the inn down the street, but all he had were some leftover Jewels from previous pulls and lint. Of course he had to be broke.

He sighed loudly, as he leaned against the wall, overhearing people's usual chatter about the newest additions from the Foretellers, along with the usual wistful wishing of having the most Lux.

A bitter laugh escaped his throat, reminding himself how ironic the situation was. Oh, how naïve they were, thinking life would sort their problems out, depending on the Foretellers over the war. Hell, it was the Foretellers that struck the flames of war and fueled their bitter rage against each other, playing their Unions, as if it were all a game of chess. A single death of a pawn made no difference in the end.

"Whatcha doing?" interrupted a squeaky voice from below, as he felt a small tug, resulting in a small shriek of surprise and his shoulders tense.

His eyes landed on his Chirithy, who was looking at him with a small hint of concern, as it slightly hopped to get Blaine's attention.

Blaine let out a shaky sigh of relief, as he kneeled down to his companion with a mini reassuring smile, stroking Chirithy's head.

"You should really stop doing that..." he nervously laughed, putting his hat closer to his face to hide his faint blush.

Chirithy tilted its head in confusion at its wielder's words, "But this is my first time scaring you. You're always with your party and friends, so I never have the time to."

Realization dawned on his face, as he guiltily looked down at his arms, bringing his hat even closer to his face. He had completely forgotten about his old friends and party members after becoming one of the leaders of the Dandelions. The thought of them never even crossed his mind once, after doing a few tasks for everyone else as an Union Leader.

"Sorry..." Blaine murmured, guilt creeping into his heart, as he picked Chirithy up from the ground with a sad smile.

Chirithy cheered and added enthusiastically, "It's fine! You're my wielder, so just do whatever makes you the happiest!"

He hugged Chirithy close to his chest and smiled softly, feeling comfort in his companion's words. It was a shame...truly a shame.

()()()

 _(Flashback)_

 _Blaine hugged his knees closely to his chest, as the cold wind softly blew against his face._

 _The stars were twinkling above him in the inky dark sky, but he only looked down at the fountain plaza where all was still and silent, as the last of the wielders had retreated to their slumber._

 _'You're so stupid for thinking she'd ever like you…' he murmured to himself, closing his eyes, frustration and guilt running through his mind. If only he didn't snap at her earlier._

 _He shook his head again and slapped himself, as hard as he could, trying desperately to get rid of his overflowing thoughts, and repeated the process over and over, but he felt nothing._

 _"What in the name of Lux are you doing!" screeched Chirithy, suddenly popping up behind him, after realizing their Master wasn't in his room, and clung onto his arm trying to get their master to stop._

 _Blaine quickly came back to his senses and gingerly put his arms down, the pain finally registering, but his eyes were locked onto his knees, as Chirithy hastily comforted their master, putting their head on his arm, rubbing it back and forth._

 _He picked up Chirithy and put it on his lap, his companion clinging onto him with concern and worry, as he absent-mindedly started to pet their head._

 _"Are you…actually okay?" Chirithy asked softly, but Blaine only kept staring blankly ahead of them as if searching for something. "Blaine?"_

 _"The first meteor…" he finally whispered breathlessly, as a small spark ignited in his eyes. "It's finally starting…"_

 _Chirithy sighed and looked up skeptically, only to get their breath immediately taken away. Multiple meteors lit up in the sky and flew gracefully across the sky, as the sky filled up with light._

 _"I wanted to show this to her…but..." he started with a sad smile, but stopped immediately, as he looked back down at his hand._

 _Chirithy offered him reassurance with a small hop of appreciation, "Well, at least you're not watching it by yourself! Maybe she had something urgent pop up!"_

 _Blaine chuckled, as he was about to say something else, but all else went black._

()()()

 _(Flashback)_

 _Blaine quickly sprang back and buffed his defenses, as the other two of his teammates had buffed their strength to the highest potential. The strongest of them all, their leader, had already sprang into action, trying to gain the most Lux as possible, during bonus hours._

 _"Go for the left limbs, (_)!" cried out their leader, as they aimed at the head. "(_), you'll go for the right limbs. Blaine, help me with the legs!"_

 _The three followers quickly followed their leader's orders and nicked a few health bars off immediately._

 _The Raid Boss creaked and groaned from their attacks, clearly not pleased with the pain that coursed throughout its entire body._

 _With a scowl, one of his teammates aimed for its weak spot, stunning the beast for another turn to save time._

 _As if on cue, the other three used their final medal to finally end the battle, light bursting through their Keyblades, as time seemed to slow down dramatically. Lux was floating in the air, as the body faded into darkness, and bonus hours were officially over until the next day._

 _"Good work today!" the leader called out, gracefully landing on their feet, while dismissing their Keyblade._

 _The other two landed right beside their leader, their heads high as they all chattered about the defeat of the giant, along with the possibility of being the top players in their Union and being famous for the most Lux._

 _Blaine, on the other hand, still had his blade in his left hand. He slowly approached the three chattering away from behind and swung his blade with every last bit of his strength. It was better than to see them fade by his hands than to all die later on in the war to come, just like the Foretellers all predicted. The Foretellers had tried to offer them all reassurance that it could be avoided, but overhearing the conversations between Master Invi and Master Aced had told him otherwise._

 _He closed his eyes, as the blade hit flesh, hearing the unforgivable clang of his Keyblade echo throughout the silent still town. His party members made no sound, but a dull thud was heard quickly afterwards, implying that his attack was successful._

 _Shakily, he turned around and dismissed his Keyblade with a shaky sigh. It was for the best. They were all in a better place now than the hell they all resided on. It was all for the best. The best...right? Feeling sick to the bone, he collapsed onto his knees and felt his heartbeat go faster than he ever thought it could go. Beads of sweat slowly trickled down his face, as his shaking grew worse by the second. A silent anguishing cry for help escaped his throat, as he shook his head in denial. It was his fault. All his fault._

 _()()()_

 _"I've heard of what happened to your friends…" Master Ava told him one evening, opening the door to his room silently, after he had gone on a Lux strike, clearly slowing down his Union's progress of having the top amount of Lux, being especially critical when war was right around the corner. "Blaine…?"_

 _With a flick of his wrist, Blaine rolled his eyes and looked off to the side, clearly getting fed up on how concerned Master Ava seemed. The 'incident' had occurred months ago, and he clearly could've cared any less. His other party members shared no concern either, only seeming concerned of their Lux count nowadays. He would've killed them off as well, but he left the party, distancing himself to make sure he would survive, at least the inner conflict of his own Union._

 _He picked up a book on his desk and casually opened it up at a random page, pretending to read to make Master Ava feel uncomfortable and leave as soon as possible._

 _"Blaine-" she repeated firmly, stepping forward, her fists clenched._

 _Blaine shot daggers at her and cut her off immediately, his voice sharp, and dripping with hostility and anger, "Listen, I don't want any business to do with you, or this stupid war. Now, if you mind…would you mind leaving me alone, **Master** Ava?"_

 _He didn't mean to sound rude or harsh in any sort of way, but in the end, the blame boiled down onto them for creating the chaos in the first place. If the Foretellers just all agreed on peace, his party would be alive and well, along with everyone else._

 _"This is important," Master Ava stated calmly, her tone rising, as she seemed to be fed up with his behavior, her concealed eyes resting on him._

 _Blaine clutched his fists tightly, looking back down at his book, trying not to scream at the leader of Vulpes, who seemed to have just visited him for the sake of pity. The book right next to him, seemed to be screaming to be thrown at Lady Ava, wanting to collide with her jawline and wiping her stupid smile off her fragile face._

 _"What's more important than your stupid Lux?" he asked softly, flipping to the next page with a scowl. "There's no reason why you should be wasting time with somebody who doesn't care, especially when war's going to strike any day now. There's no point."_

 _Master Ava smiled softly and took out a green notebook from behind, which was previously sealed by her robe, "There's actually a task I need you to complete for me. If you fulfill it to its fullest potential, I'm sure you'll save many people's lives…and maybe your friends' deaths won't be in vain either…"_

 _Tears pricked at the ends of his eyes, as a lump formed in his throat, feeling the guilt in his chest react once more, and the suppressed wound in his heart tearing apart._ _Of course, Master Ava had to bring it up..._

 _"It wasn't your fault you know," added Master Ava, seeing the boy's conflicted reaction, her smile lifting softly._

 _Blaine's head slightly lifted upward, tempting to spill out his true feelings, but he looked back down at his hands. A sadistic smile formed on his lips, as he gripped his book tightly, his eyes flashing dangerously._

 _Lying to himself, he laughed bitterly and rocked his chair back and forth, as though he was mad with grief and guilt that had built over time, "Who even gives a shit anymore? A single tear doesn't solve anything. They all deserved to die anyway! The world will end and you can't do anything about it, **Master**. So what? People have died and killed each other over time. Let fate take its course and wipe every last one of them out!"_

 _All the traces of Ava's smile vanished instantly, as she looked down at her hands in what also seemed to originate from guilt, but pressed no further, as she had overstepped and broken what was left._

 _Fueled with frustration, Blaine finally picked the book up from his desk and threw it across the room. The book had narrowly missed Ava's head, and instead hit his closet with a thud. The room got eerily quiet, while Ava patiently waited for his anger to settle down, in which it did._

 _A sense of dread and guilt overwhelmed his senses, after realizing what he just did. Refusing to look at her face, he quickly averted his attention to his desk._

 _Master Ava sighed, but gingerly placed a green notebook on his sheets with a small smile, and finally said her departing words to the boy, "Please consider it. You may not be mentally ready to lead an Union just yet, but they all need someone like you to lead them… I'm fairly certain that out of all the leaders, you're the only one to lean towards instinct and strong judgement. I trust you'll lead them down the right path."_

 _Before Blaine could object, Master Ava had disappeared as fast as she had appeared out of the blue, with little to no explanation._

 _He peered over at the green notebook, as Chirithy popped up onto his bed, seeming curious of the whole concept. A small twinkle sparked in his eyes, and he casually started to flip through the book's contents, analyzing every last detail. Honestly, he didn't want to take part in such a huge role, but the idea seemed intriguing._

 _"Are you gonna do it?" Chirithy asked, looking over at its Master with concern. "She seemed pretty desperate to give it to you. What if it's a trap, so her Union wins the war? What if she's trying to eliminate who she thinks is a threat? What if-"_

 _"I'll do it," Blaine confirmed sharply, cutting Chirithy off, as a tight uneasy feeling formed in his gut. Something felt off about the entire situation, but there seemed to be a hidden secret in Lady Ava's words that seemed to be begging to be uncovered._

 _Chirithy took notice of its Master's discomfort immediately, but remained silent, as the events of tragedy would slowly unfold._

()()()

"Look it's your party members!" exclaimed Chirithy, pointing to a small trio of people near the fountain, all seeming to exchange smiles and laughter. All of them seemed genuinely happy, or at least comfortable with one another.

Blaine peered to the side, behind the stone wall, his hands shaking, as his eyes locked onto the backs of his former comrades, all who were destined to crumble away into the forgotten depths of dust. It was all his fault that they never saw the light of day again in his time.

He felt himself shudder and fall to his weakened knees, his eyes widening, as his mind couldn't seem to comprehend them properly. They had all taken him under their wings, but yet…yet he left them to die before. Leaning against the concealed side of the wall, he shakily let out his breath, and clung onto his chest, shaking his head back and forth.

At first, their party was bustling and alive, with the max limit of members. Everyone seemed alive and generally happy. Their party used to be one of the top parties to collect Lux at the time as well, and everyone got along perfectly well. However, later down the line, one by one their members were killed off or went missing. Others went silent, while others lost their sanity completely. Out of all of the members, only about seven remained in the once plentiful party…and one of those members were himself, the original leader, the deputy, and a few handful of others.

He clenched his fists and buried his head into his knees. After the incident, their party never resurfaced on the rankings again, and it terrified him of what their fates turned out to be in the end.

Chirithy looked at their master, confused by the sudden change in behavior. Their master seemed to be upset, but the reason behind his sadness was locked under pounds of guilt and pressure that was compressed over time.

"Is something wrong? Aren't you happy to see your friends?" asked Chirithy, hopping as high as it could to catch Blaine's attention.

Tears welled up in Blaine's eyes, meeting his Chirithy's caring gaze, as they slowly streaked down his cheek.

"No…it's nothing," he shrugged, pulling his hat closer to his face, quickly attempting to wipe the tears away before Chirithy could protest. "Just slightly overwhelmed."

He quickly got back up onto his feet and brushed the dust off his lap, but continued to lean against the wall, as he silently overheard the conversation on his side with a small longing smile. Maybe one day, they could forgive him for ditching them to their demise, but for now he was satisfied with just hearing their forgotten voices, at least one last time.

* * *

 **I swear I didn't forget about posting this chapter or anything. Anyways, thanks for sticking around and dealing with how bad the writing is (now that I look back at it and wonder how the heck did I write all this. No wonder I held this hostage for a few months). I'm juggling around at least 5 other stories at the moment, so I apologize if this isn't top quality. Expect the next chapter soon! Once again, thank you for the comments and criticism, I'll probably rewrite this all soon.  
**


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